Addleshaw Goddard's Middle East Expansion Drives Strong Growth

International law firm Addleshaw Goddard (AG) has posted record financial performance for the 12 months to 30 April 2025, with an eighth consecutive year of revenue and profit growth.

· Total revenues up 11% from £495.6m to £550.9m

· Profits up 6% from £210.5m to £224.1m

· Profit per equity partner (PEP) of £1m

· Total partner number up 9% to 444 (including 59 new Partner hires and promotions)

· Global headcount up 6% to 2,952

Andrew Johnston, Managing Partner of Addleshaw Goddard, comments: "It has been another strong year for AG and we are pleased with the financial results, as well as the progress that we have made in evolving the firm’s growth strategy. We performed well across our key markets, boosted by the Madrid office launch in May 2024 and our first full year of business in Riyadh. From market leading acquisitions to complex financing and restructurings, clients have trusted us with the most important matters for their businesses. Our year-on-year revenue and profit growth as well as our robust cash position has allowed us to continue to invest significantly in our people, offices, and innovation, whilst enhancing the services we offer to our clients. Since unveiling our AG2030 strategy in November, we have entered the Central and Eastern Europe market through the addition of Linklaters’ Warsaw office, opened a new office in Abu Dhabi and have continued to invest in the UK and Ireland with exciting new offices for our people. Later this year, we will mark our 250th anniversary with a move to our new Lothbury headquarters in the heart of the City of London. We take considerable momentum into the new financial year as we focus on winning additional market share across key clients, geographies and sectors."

Robin Hickman, Head of Middle East at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “The Middle East continues to be one of the firm’s fastest growing regions, capped by strong financial results and a series of landmark client mandates. The launch of our Abu Dhabi office was a pivotal milestone, giving us a stronger platform in the UAE to support clients across the GCC. Together with our Riyadh and Dubai offices, we are now better positioned than ever to serve clients across key regional hubs with the depth and breadth of expertise they require. We were proud to support clients on some of the region’s most high-profile real estate and financing transactions and deals such as Al Waha Land’s AED 530 million disposal of AlMarkaz Industrial Park assets to Aldar, Emirates NBD Capital KSA’s CMA-approved Saudi equity fund, and Orange Egypt’s $80m financing deal. They demonstrate the trust placed in our teams to advise on the region’s most significant and complex matters, offering high-quality advice across multiple jurisdictions. This year, we also strengthened our regional bench with both internal promotions and lateral hires in corporate, construction and disputes, strengthening the capabilities that matter most to our clients. Our ambition is clear: to be the international firm of choice in the Middle East, combining global expertise with a deep local presence to help clients navigate change and achieve their most important goals.”

FY25 highlights:

Highlights in the Middle East:

· Opened a new office in Abu Dhabi, strengthening AG’s UAE footprint alongside Dubai and adding to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

· Advised on landmark regional transactions, including AED 530m real estate disposals, innovative Saudi capital markets funds, and cross-border financings in Egypt.

· Grew the Middle East partner group with five new hires and promotions in core areas: corporate, construction, and disputes.

Our markets

· We entered the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) market through the addition of Linklater’s Warsaw office, including nine partners.

· Our office opening in Abu Dhabi takes our international network to 21 offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

· Ongoing infrastructure investment with expanded new Dublin office in January and moves to larger new premises in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow this financial year.

Our clients

Notable transactions elsewhere in the world included advising:

· Nationwide Building Society on £2.9bn acquisition of Virgin Money.

· Coventry Building Society on £780m acquisition of The Co-Operative Bank.

· Guardian Media Group on sale of The Observer to Tortoise Media.

· Hispasat and the SpaceRISE consortium on the €10.6bn IRIS2 satellite constellation project.

· Applied Nutrition plc on the largest consumer IPO since 2021.

· Owner of Paris Marriott Champs-Élysées hotel on EUR175m refinancing.

Our culture

· Named one of the Financial Times’ Best Employers UK 2025.

· Ranked 11th in the Social Mobility Foundation Employer Index, up from 36th last year.

· Named a Times Top 50 Employer for Gender Equality and the first major law firm to receive the Fertility Matters at Work 'Fertility Friendly' accreditation.

· 17% rise in firmwide pro bono hours with a value of over £5.4M and a 31% increase in firmwide volunteering hours.

Our brand

· Legal Firm of the Year 2025 at the inaugural British Business Awards.

· First official legal sponsor of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show with accompanying ‘Flourish in the City’ advertising campaign in the City of London.

Our innovation

· Recognised as one of the world’s Top 20 most innovative law firms by FT Innovative Lawyers: 20 Years, an authoritative report on 20 years of innovation in the legal sector.

· Named ‘Team of the year: Legal transformation’ at The Lawyer Awards 2025.

· Adoption of Legora into AG’s suite of technologies as part of strategy to further integrate advanced generative AI (GenAI) tools across our legal operations.